Rotary filling machine



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l i IIHHT INVENTOR Mdon. CW B TTORNE lllllllll G. C. SCHAUB ROTARY FILLING MACHINE June 6, 1961 Filed Oct. 21, 1958 m 7 I 4 T P am June 6, 1961 c. c. SCHAUB 87,0 2

ROTARY FILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1958 5 SheetsSheet 2 NVENT R 901110 C, W BY I i TTORN 5 G. C. SCHAUB ROTARY FILLING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTO gm (1% BY TTORNE June 6, 1961 Filed Oct. 21, 1958 June 6, 1961 G. c. SCHAUB 2,987,082

ROTARY FILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 T INVENTOR qo'ulvn (1W BY M ATTORN Z June 6, 1961 G. c. SCHAUB 87, 82

ROTARY FILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 9 INVEETE? 5 BY 7 Va L,

TTORNEZ 2,987,082 ROTARY FILLING MACHINE Gordon C. Schaub, Westfield, N.J., assignor to Corn Products Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 768,690 3 Claims. (Cl. 141-141) This invention relates to rotary type filling machine intended to deliver fluid in measured quantities to containers. It relates more particularly to a machine of this character wherein a viscous fluid, such as mayonnaise, is automatically distributed to a group of rotary filling heads from which the fluid is individually ejected via separate dispensers into an individual container.

Objects and features of this invention are the provision of a rotary type filling machine intended for high speed operation.

Further objects and features of the invention are the provision of a machine of this character which is essentially simple in construction, durable and which has a minimum of breakdown and servicing periods during use, as well as having minimum requirements of attention and attendance during filling operations.

Further objects and features of the invention are the provision of a machine of this character with which flowable materials of all kinds in accurately measured quantities may be filled into containers of any desired type and shape.

Still further objects and features of the invention are the provision of a machine of this character whose components are easy to clean and keep clean over extended periods of time.

Additional objects and features of the invention are the provision of a rotary filling machine which will accurately dispense desired quantities of flowable material to successive individual containers delivered to the machine along a conveyor which includes safety mechanism which will prevent the dispensing and waste of the material in the event that a container is not present to receive it.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partially sectionalized elevational view of a machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view taken along the plane of line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along the plane of line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the distributing member and one of the dispensing heads of the machine in position for delivery of material to a container;

FIG. 5 is a similar view of the same elements when delivery has been completed;

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of mechanism for controlling the exact quantity of material dispensed by the machine to each container;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section of the mechanism utilized to eject material from the machine via one of the dispensers;

FIG. 8 is a similar view of the elements of FIG. 7 in a difierent position of adjustment;

FIG. 9 is a plan and FIG. 11 is an elevational view of the container detecting mechanism and associated apparatus showing portions of the latter when a container is present to receive the material from the associated dispensing head; and

FIGS. 10 and 12 respectively are an elevational plan of the detecting apparatus in the position occupied thereby when no container is present to receive dispensed material from the associated dispensing head.

nited States Patent 0 Patented June 6, 1961 Referring now to the drawings and first to FIGS. 1 and 3, the reference character 10 denotes generally the machine embodying the invention. This machine includes a hollow base 11 within which a vertical shaft socket 12 is conveniently mounted. This socket 12 Sup ports the lower end of a vertically extending shaft 13 which latter extends upwardly through an opening in a table 14 of the base 11.

A tubular part 15 fits telescopically on the upper end of shaft 13 and is slideable thereon within the limits permitted by the longitudinal slot 16 in the part 15 and the pin 17 extending from the shaft 13. A closure member 18 is fitted over the outer end of the tubular member 15. A biasing spring 19 which is concentrically mounted on an extension 1311 of the shaft 13 serves to bias the tubular member 15 upwardly to the limit permitted by the slot 16 and pin 17 for purposes presently described.

The closure member 18 is provided with a center pin 21 and also with a lateral extension 22 which carries a spring biased locking pin 23. The centering pin 21 fits into a receiving recess 24 provided in the base of a frustro-conical distributing valve 25 at its mid-point. The pin 23 is engageable in a receiving slot 26 Within the base of the valve 25 and serves when so engaged to prevent rotation of the valve 25.

The valve 25 is provided with an internal chamber 28 whose upper end or mouth 29 is open. A valve opening 30 which communicates with the chamber 28 is provided in the tapered outer surface 31 in the valve body 25. This tapered outer surface fits within a complementary tapered receiving recess 32 of a rotary distributing body 33.

The distributing body 33 has a plurality of radially disposed distributing passageways 34 each of which are in communication with the tapered recess 32 of said body 33. The radial openings 34 constitute conduits whose inner open ends are intended successively to rotate past the port 30 of the valve body 25 so that fluid received within the chamber 28 of said body will be successively delivered to the respective conduits 34.

The open mouth 29 of the valve body 25 communicates through a sealed rotary joint 35 With the lower end of a feed tube F to which the flowable material such as mayonnaise is delivered from a source (not shown) either by gravity feed or by conventional pressure feed arrangements.

Each of the conduit passages 34 is provided with an opening 36a (FIG. 4) which communicates with a vertically disposed metering cylinder 36, so that fluid or flowable material from the filling tube F will successively pass from the chamber 28 in valve 25 and its port 30 through the respective conduits or passages 34 in the member 33 and their respective openings 36a into a respective metering cylinder 36.

As seen in FIGS..4 and 5 the outer ends of each passageway 34 are intended to be closed off by a vertically disposed tapered valve body 37. This valve body 37 extends through the depth of body 33 and being tapered is drawn into tight sealing engagement with corresponding surfaces of the body 33 as by the tightening nut 38 which engages the threaded portion 39 of body 37.

The valve body 37 has a tubular opening 40 in its lower end which communicates with an enlarged chamber 41. A vertically disposed dispensing tube 42 is supported within the tubular opening 40 of the valve body 37 and its upper open end projects upwardly into the chamber 41 to substantially the level of the upper end of said chamber. A flexible diaphragm 43 for example of rubber or other suitable material serves as a closure for the upper end of chamber 41. This diaphragm is held in place as by a threaded cap 44 which is convexly arched internally above the diaphragm 43 so that the latter may be displaced away from the upper open end of the tube 42 for purposes presently to be described.

A vertically disposed rod 45 extends through the length of the tube42. The lower end of this rod is provided with a ball valve 46 which is displaceable relative to the inner open end of a dispensing nozzle 47. The upper end of rod 45 is secured to the diaphragm 43 at 48 in leakproof manner. A passage 49 is provided in the cap 44. A pressure line 50 is connected to the outlet end of the passage 49 so that a desired pressure fluid e.g. pneumatic or hydraulic in regulated amount may be directed against the upper side of diaphragm 43 for purposes presently to be described.

A port 51 in the valve body 37 communicates both with the conduit 34 and the chamber 41.

The metering cylinder 36 is provided with a vertically displaceable piston 52 which may have an appropriate bleed (not shown). This piston is connected by a piston rod 53 to a yoke bar 54 which is also secured to a vertically reciprocating operating rod 55. The rod 55 extends vertically into a guide sleeve 56. This sleeve 56 is slideably supported in a bearing 57 carried by a rotary plate or disc 58.

A threaded portion 59 is provided on the rod 55 and this threaded portion engages a correspondingly threaded portion 60 of the guide sleeve 56, so that relative rotation of the guide sleeve 56 with respect to the operating rod 55 will elevate or lower the latter accordingly.

The rod 55 is provided with a latch tooth 61 below its threaded portion 59. This tooth in turn is engageable wit-h a latch tooth 62 which is spring biased at 62a and pivotally secured in a head 63 which latter in turn is secured at the upper end of a reciprocably movable operating rod 64. The tooth member 62 is spring biased at 62a (FIGS. 11 and 12) to lie in the path of travel of the tooth 61, so that on their engagement downward movement of operating rod 64 will cause corresponding downward movement of the rod 55 and also the piston 52. Upward movement of the rod 64 will cause engagement of the tooth member 62 with the lower end of sleeve 56 to cause corresponding upward movement of the piston rod 52. The extent of downward displacement of the piston rod 52 is controlled by the relative initial gaps x and y (FIGS. 7 and 8) existing at the outset of the downward stroke of the rod 64 between the teeth 61 and 62. These distances x and y are controlled by threaded rotation of sleeve 56 on the threaded part 59 of rod 55. The relative differences of magnitudes of the gaps x and y need not be large, being merely sufficient to limit the downward stroke of the piston .52 to extrude an exactly determined quantity of material within the metering cylinder 36.

The rotary adjustment of the sleeves 56 may be effected from a common control by the provision on each sleeve of a gear 65 which is slideable vertically on said sleeve 56 and keyed thereto in the longitudinally extending keyway 66. The respective gears 65 for the various sleeves 56 all mesh with a ring gear 67 (FIG. 6). This gear 67 in turn is supported by a rotary sleeve 68 (FIG. 1). Gear 67 in addition has a circular rack 69 whose teeth mesh with an adjustable hand operated gear 70 manipulated by the handwheel 71. Rotation of the latter in either direction causes corresponding rotation of the ring gear 67, the gears 65 and the sleeves 56 for adjustment of the gaps x and y as herein-above described.

The rotary disc 58 is supported in spaced relationship from the upper surface of the rotary member 33 as by the spacing posts 72. Rotary member 33 in turn is carried by the upper end of the rotary driven sleeve 68 to provide rotation both of the disc 58 and of the member 33 about the axis of shaft 13 as a center.

The sleeve 68 extends downwardly through a guide cylinder 73 in which it may be rotated. A gear .74

secured to the lower end of sleeve 68 is adapted to be driven as by a motor 75 through conventional gear box 76 and belting arrangement 77. The sleeve 68 is provided with a peripheral flange 78 which rests slideably on a surface bearing 79 provided on the upper end of guide sleeve 73. The lower end of guide sleeve 73 is provided with an annular flange 80 which is secured as by bolting at 81 to the upper surface of the table 14.

The flange 78 supports a horizontally disposed annular disc or plate 82 which is adapted to be rotated with the sleeve 68 as by the engaging pins 83.

The outer surface of the guide sleeve 73 is provided with a cam groove 84 in which a cam follower 85 is engaged. This cam follower in turn is secured to the lower end of reciprocating rod 64. Thus rotation of the sleeve 68 causes the cam follower 85 to move around the surface of the guide sleeve 73 within the cam groove 85 and during such rotation cause reciprocation of the rod 64. This causes consequent reciprocation of the piston 52 for purposes presently to be described.

A group of individually vertically reciprocal container receiving tables 86 are secured at the upper ends of reciprocal operating rods 87. These rods extend downwardly through openings in the disc 82 and are provided at their lower terminals with cam followers 89. The latter in turn are engaged in a cam groove 90 provided in a tubular member 91 which is spaced concentrically about the outer surface of the guide sleeve 73. Thus rotation of the disc 82 and operating rods 87 causes cam 'lies below the end of delivering nozzle 47 of the dis- "penser tube 42. right of FIG. 1, the table 86 elevates the container C In its uppermost stroke as seen at the to a position where the delivery end of the dispenser 47 lies just above the inner surface of the bottom of the container C. During rotation of the disc 81 each table 86 gradually lowers itself from the elevated position at the right of FIG. 1 as the liquid dispensed by the tube-42 emerges from the nozzle 47 The speed of downward movement of the table 86 is adjusted to be consonant with the speed of delivery of a fluid from the nozzle 47 so that the outlet end of the latter always lies slightly above the surface of the fluid entering the container, so that it is not submerged in the contents of the container at any time during or after delivery of said fluid. This is accomplished by appropriate shaping of the cam groove 90.

Prevention of ejection of fluid from any dispensing nozzles 47 in the event that there is no container C on any particular table 86 to receive it, is a necessary feature of the invention. In the embodiment shown and particularly in FIGS. 912 this detecting mechanism comprises a pair of holding jaws 94 and 95 for each table 86. These jaws are suitably supported in parallelism with the surfaces of respective tables 86 as by support posts 96.

One of the jaws, for example jaw 95, is movable relative to the fixed jaw 94 being spring biased as by the coil spring 98 toward fixed jaw 94. The minimum spread of the two jaws is controlled by the angularly disposed facing surfaces 97 and 99. The minimum distance between the jaws when no container lies between them is illustrated in FIG. 10, while the maximum spread between the jaws caused by a container is illustrated in FIG. 9. The separation of the jaws caused by a container C is in opposition to the bias of spring 98.

The movable jaw 95 carries an arm 100 whose free end is provided with a cam surface 101. In the closed or minimum spread position of the jaws 94 and 95, the cam the pivoted tooth 62 of the piston operating mechanism. The engagement of cam surface 101 with said pin 102 swings the tooth 62 to the position shown in FIG. 12 wherein it is clear of the corresponding tooth 61 at the end of rod 55. In such displaced position the downward reciprocation of rod 64 will fail to displace the rod 55 and consequently piston 52 will not be moved. On the other hand, in the spread position of the jaws 94 and 95 as seen in FIG. 9, the cam surface 101 will be swung to a position clear of the pin 102. In consequence, the tooth 62 will engage the tooth 61 and couple rod 64 and 55 to cause downward movement of the piston 52 when the rod 64 moves downwardly. This position which permits coupling can only occur if a container C spreads the jaws 94 and 95. Thus, upon rotation of the tables 86, only those thereof which carry containers, will, through operation of their jaws 94 and 95, cause material to be delivered from the outlet ends of the dispensing nozzles 47 to such containers.

As seen in FIG. 3 the containers are delivered for filling along a movable conveyor 105. This conveyor is driven in conventional manner and brings the containers to a conventional spacing worm 106. The latter spaces the individual containers for successive seizure by a delivery member 107 which moves successive containers individually between the clamping jaws 94, 95 associated with succeeding tables 86. The relative speed of rotation of tables 86 and member 107 is in appropriate synchronism to ensure delivery of containers to succeeding pairs of jaws 94, 95 on the respective tables 86.

The successive containers C which are delivered to the tables in empty condition are filled individually during rotation of the tables 86 from the container receiving position through approximately 330 degrees at which time the successive containers will have been filled by their individual dispensing nozzles as will be described. Upon completion of filling and the arrival of the filled containers at an exit station, the latter are sequentially seized and pulled out from jaws 94 and 95 as by a remover mechanism 108 of conventional type. The removed containers are returned by the mechanism 108 to the conveyor 105 for subsequent capping and labelling in auxiliary machinery (not shown).

Operation Each container C to be filled is delivered by member 107 to initial station I between the jaws 94, 95 of a table 86. The particular table 86 receiving a container is then in its lowermost position as seen on the left of FIG. 1. The table 86 receiving a container at station I rotated around shaft 13 as a center and progressively rises during a 180 rotation to the position shown at the right of FIG. 1. At this time the nozzle tip 47 lies in close proximity to the bottom of container C. Continued rotation of the table beyond the 180 position causes progressive downward movement of said table under action of cam 90.

At the same time, because jaws 94 and 95 are spread, the synchronized downward stroke of rod 64 and consequently of piston 52 in metering cylinder 36 causes the piston to extrude liquid contents in cylinder 36 via port 51 into chamber 41 since the inner end of conduit 34 is closed off by a solid wall position of the valve 25. The extrusion pressure of fluid under action of piston 52 overcomes the pneumatic pressure above the surface of diaphragm 43, lifting the latter clear of the upper end of dispensing tube 42. The fluid then flows downwardly through tube 42 passing lifted ball valve 46 and out of dispensing end 47 into the container. Since the container is moving downwardly at a speed consonant with the speed of ejection of fluid from end 47, the container fills and the level of liquid in the container lies always below the end 47 so that the latter is not coated or submerged.

When the particular container C being filled reaches the 330 position, it is full and the end 47 is then clear of the upper open end of the container. Immediately upon conclusion of an ejecting movement of piston 52, the diaphragm 43 is restored to closed position over the upper end of tube 42. At the same time the ball valve '46 is restored to sealing position (FIG. 5) preventing drip from dispensing tip or end 47.

At approximately the 330 position the filled container is seized by remover mechanism 108 and returned to the conveyor 105 for subsequent capping, labelling and other operations.

Each container undergoes precisely the same cycle of operations just described and progress of the containers through the machine is continuous. In the event that a container should fail to be delivered to a particular table during continuous operation, its associated jaws 94, will not be spread and consequently the piston 52 of the associated metering cylinder will not be moved downwardly. Thus no ejection of fluid will occur from a dispensing nozzle 47 that has no container below it. No interruption of continuous motion of the machine however occurs.

The filling of the metering cylinders 36 occurs when the pistons 52 are at their uppermost positions, at which times the conduits 34 sweep past the open part 30 of valve 25 so that the fluid from conduit 36 may enter conduits 34 successively and fill their associated cylinders 36. During such filling, pneumatic pressure on diaphragm 43 is suflicient to prevent its opening displacement relative to the inner end of tube 42. Adjustment of the delivery from each metering cylinder 36 is eifected by the manipulation of adjust-ment knob 71 and displacements x or y, i.e. of the extrusion strokes of pistons '52.

While a specific embodiment of the device has been described and shown, variations in structural detail are possible and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. There is no intention therefore, of limitation to the exact details herein-above presented.

What is claimed is:

1. A filling machine of the character described comprising valve means in communication with a source of supply and having a receiving chamber fillable from said source, said chamber having an outlet opening, a rotatable distributing member having a distributing passageway movable into and out of registry with said opening, a metering chamber in direct communication with said passageway and rotatable with said distributing member, means for rotating said distributing member for moving said passageway periodically into registry with said outlet opening for periodically filling said metering chamber from the source of supply, a dispenser nozzle, means for supporting a container in position to receive fluid ejected from said nozzle, means for ejecting said fluid from said metering chamber via said nozzle while said distributing passageway and said outlet opening are out of registry, table means for supporting the container, means for moving said table means reciprocally toward and away from the dispenser nozzle, jaw means associated with said table means and adapted to be spread apart by insertion of a container therebetween, means for reciprocating said ejecting means and coupling means between said ejecting means and said last-named reciprocating means, said jaw means activating said coupling means only when spread apart by a container.

2. A filling machine of the character described comprising valve means in communication with a source of supply and having a receiving chamber fillable from said source, said chamber having an outlet opening, a rotatable distributing member having a distributing passageway movable into and out of registry with said opening, a metering chamber in direct communication with said passageway and rotatable with said distributing member, means for rotating said distributing member for moving said passageway periodically into registry with said outlet opening for periodically filling said metering chamber from the source ofsupply, a dispenser nozzle, means for supporting a container in position to receivefluid ejected from said nozzle, means for ejecting saidfluid from said metering chamber via said nozzle while said distributing passageway and saidoutlet opening are out of registry, and means for adjusting the amount of fluid ejected from said chamber, said last-named means including a pair of engaging teeth on separate aligned members and means for varying the gaps between the teeth.

3. A filling machine of the character described comprising valve means in communication with a source of supply and having a receiving chamber fillable from said source, said chamber having an outlet opening, a rotatable distributing member having a distributing passageway movable into and out of registry with said opening, a metering chamber in direct communication with said passageway and rotatable with said distributing member, means forrrotating said distributing member for moving said passageway periodically into registry with said outlet opening for periodically filling said metering chamber from the source of supply, a dispenser nozzle, means for supporting a container in position to receive fluid ejected from said nozzle, means for ejecting said fluid from said metering chamber via said nozzle while said distributing passageway and said outlet opening are out of registry,

said ejecting means including a piston, an operating rod for said .piston, atooth at an end of said rod, a sleeve member threadedly engaging said rod, a reciprocally movable rod aligned with said operating rod, a pivoted tooth carried by the reciprocally movable rod and engageable with said first-named tooth, said sleeve member being rotatable to adjust the initial gap between said teeth to vary the stroke of the operating rod as effected by said reciprocally movable rod, and means for rotating said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 961,408 Hebrank June 14, 1910 1,046,762 Fleming et al Dec. 10, 1912 1,477,485 Haskell Dec. 11, 1923 1,996,461 Cornell Apr. 2, 1935 2,028,266 Anderson Jan. 21, 1936 2,086,890 Ashlock et al. July 13, 1937 2,103,817 Johnson Dec. 28, 1937 2,176,121 Burnett Oct. 17, 1939 2,187,615 Ayars Jan. 16, 1940 2,206,935 Baur July 9, 1940 2,579,916 Fleming Dec. 25, 1951 2,761,606 Pahl et al. Sept. 4, 1956 

